Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids and families

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

“What are you doing, Dad?” asked Elijah.

“Mom and I decided we’d like a window here in this wall, so I’m measuring and marking where I need to cut the hole for it.” Dad carefully drew lines where he planned to cut.

“Why do you want a window there?” asked Elijah as he helped Dad with the tape measure. “You want to see the garage next door while you eat?”

“The view may not be so great, but just wait and see what a difference a window makes,” Dad said as he put the tape measure back into his toolbox.

The next day, Dad carefully cut a hole in the wall and fit a new window into place.

“Wow!” Elijah said as he came into the room. “I think I like having a window there after all. The view is better than I thought it would be. We can see sky, trees, birds, some of the lawn—and as expected, we also have a really good view of the side of the Wilsons’ garage.” He smiled. “But you know the best thing of all about this new window?”

“What’s that?” asked Dad.

“It’s so much brighter in here! When it’s sunny outside, I could probably do my homework without turning a light on.”

“Quite different, isn’t it?” Dad stood back and admired the window. “Did you know that we should be like this window?”

“How do we do that?” asked Elijah.

“Well, the window lets light into our house, and we can bring Jesus’s light into the lives of others,” Dad explained.

“I can see the light that comes through the window,” said Elijah. “But you can’t really see the light Jesus gives, can you?”

“In a way, you can,” said Dad. “Like when you invited Sam over when he first moved here and didn’t know anyone, and he started coming to church with us. Or when you volunteered to walk Mr. Freeman’s dog when he was sick instead of playing with your friends after school.”

“You mean I was shining Jesus’s light when I did those things?” Elijah asked.

Dad nodded. “When you treat others with the love of Jesus by showing you care about them, that’s a bright light that helps people see who He is.”

–Diana M. Martin

How about you? How can you share the light of Jesus with others? You can shine His light in a dark and hurting world by telling others about Him and showing them His love. By sharing what He’s done for you and treating others with kindness and care, you can brighten people’s lives and show them who Jesus is and how much He loves them—and help them want to know Him the way you do.

Today's Key Verse: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Share Jesus’s light with others

Read: Acts 10:28, 34-35; Revelation 7:9-10

“What color should I use next in this afghan, Melanie?” Aunt Lizzy asked as she finished knitting with yellow yarn.

“Use the purple yarn!” said Melanie. “That’s going to be so pretty when it’s finished. It has so many different colors.”

Aunt Lizzy nodded. “Yes, and a lot of different kinds of stitches too.” She began adding the purple yarn. “How’s school going this year, Melanie?”

“Pretty good. There are a few new kids in our class this year. Miguel is from Honduras. He’s nice, but he doesn’t know English all that well yet, and some of the kids laugh at him when he says things in Spanish instead. There’s also a new girl from Vietnam—Anh. She brings really interesting food for lunch, but some of the kids make fun of it. And Zahid is new too. He moved here from the Middle East, and he’s been having a hard time making friends.”

“Hmm,” said Aunt Lizzy. “It sounds like some of the kids at your school think it’s okay to make fun of people for being different. I wonder if they’ve thought about how different they would seem if they went to the places Miguel, Anh, and Zahid are from.” She paused. “Melanie, if God were making an afghan, do you think He’d use just one color or a bunch of colors?”

Melanie looked at her aunt in surprise. “Well, I’m sure it’d be pretty either way, but…” She hesitated. “God used lots of colors in nature, so I think He’d do the same in an afghan. All the colors make it extra pretty and more interesting.”

Aunt Lizzy smiled. “I think so too. After all, He used many different colors and patterns when he made plants and animals—and people!”

“You mean like those kids at school who get teased?” Melanie asked.

“Yes,” said Aunt Lizzy. “God made every person in His image and loves them all—enough to send His Son to die on the cross for their sins. Instead of avoiding or making fun of people from other places or cultures, He wants us to embrace them and point them to Jesus, who gave His life so people from all over the world could worship Him together one day in heaven.”

–Teresa M. Beverly

How about you? Do you enjoy having friends who are different from you? Or do you avoid or make fun of anyone who doesn’t look, speak, or act like you? Each person in every part of the world is made in God’s image, and He loves them all. Together we display His creativity and point to the great love Jesus showed us all by dying for our sins. When you encounter people who are different from you, appreciate them and show them God’s love.

Today's Key Verse: God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. Acts 17:26 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: Embrace differences in people

Read: Proverbs 3:5-8; John 1:9-14

As Peter, Calvin, and Esther waited for their dad after church, they looked out at the parking lot through the stained glass windows near the back of the sanctuary. “I see our car,” said Calvin. “It’s green.”

Esther disagreed. “No, it’s not. It’s yellow.”

“You’re both wrong,” said Peter. “It’s blue.”

Just then, Dad walked up. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“We’re talking about the color of our car,” said Peter. “It’s blue, right?”

“No, green!” said Calvin.

Esther giggled. “No, yellow!”

Dad laughed and looked out another windowpane. “Looks purple to me.”

As they went out and got into their white car, Dad said, “Okay, kids, let’s think about something. Why did each of us see our car as a different color even though it was white all along?”

“Because we were each looking through a different color glass,” answered Calvin.

Dad nodded. “Right. Each of us had a different view of the car, but we were all wrong. And each person has their own worldview, or how they see life and determine what’s true. The thing is, we can’t see anything the right way without God. Anyone looking at the world without the truth of His Word, the Bible, sees it as though they’re looking through sneaky stained-glass windows that don’t show things as they truly are.”

“Is that why some of the things people say are true sound like they could be right, even though they don’t match what God says in the Bible?” asked Esther. “Because they’re trying to see the truth, but the way they’re looking at it—their worldview—is wrong?”

“Yes,” Dad said as he turned onto their street. “All people are sinners, so our judgments about what is right and wrong are often pretty skewed—like we’re looking through a window that makes everything a different color. But God is outside the window, and He sees things exactly as they are. That’s why the only way we can know what’s true is by trusting in Jesus, who came to save us from sin and open our eyes to God’s truth. Only by putting our faith in Him and using His Word as our window can we have the right view—God’s view—of what’s true.”

–Faith Alessio

How about you? Do you ever wonder what’s really true? It can be confusing because every person views the world differently. God is the only one who sees everything clearly, and He tells us what’s true in the Bible. He also sent us His Son, Jesus, who came to show us the truth of who God is and how much we need Him to save us. When you trust in Jesus and look at everything through the window of His Word, He will show you what is true.

Today's Key Verse: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus shows us what’s true

Read: John 15:12-15; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Mom, it’s going to be so great having Piper live right across the street!” Ava said as she got ready to go help her best friend’s family move things into their new house. “Now we can sit together on the school bus and go to each other’s houses all the time. And pizza is her favorite food, just like mine!”

Mom smiled as she took a pizza out of the oven. “It’s nice that you and Piper have so much in common.”

Ava nodded. “We’re going to do everything together.”

The next day Ava came storming into the house. “Piper isn’t my best friend anymore,” she said. “I went over to see if she could play and found out she was off playing tennis with Lucy.”

“Oh, Ava,” said Mom. “It’s nice that you two are friends, but you need other friends too. Lucy and Piper like tennis, and you don’t.”

“I don’t care,” said Ava. “Best friends always stick together!”

At dinner that evening, Ava was surprised to see spaghetti on her parents’ plates and pizza from the day before on her own. “Where’s my spaghetti?” she asked.

“Since pizza is your favorite food, I decided you could have it for every meal,” Mom told her.

Dad nodded. “Mom says you can even have it for breakfast every day. Isn’t that great?”

“I don’t want pizza all the time,” Ava said. “I like other things too.” She frowned. “Why are you doing this?”

Mom smiled. “Well, I was hoping it would help you see that variety is a good thing—not only in meals but also in friendships. Piper needs the freedom to have more than just one friend, and you do too. The Bible tells us to love our friends, but the way you’re treating Piper isn’t very loving at all—it’s selfish.”

“Mom’s right, Ava,” said Dad. “After all, Jesus didn’t spend all His time with just one person—if He had, others wouldn’t have known that He was the Son of God who had come to save them. How can you be like Jesus and reach out to someone who needs a friend?”

Ava thought about it. “Maybe I’ll invite Cassie over to watch a movie, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine,” said Mom. “But first you need to eat some spaghetti!”

–Ruth McQuilkin

How about you? Do you get jealous if your best friend has other friends? It’s good to have a close friend you want to spend time with, but both of you need to spend time with other friends too. The mark of real friendship is love for each other, and love means giving your friend the freedom to form friendships with others. You need other friends too—and they need you! How can you show someone Jesus’s love by being a friend to them?

Today's Key Verse: A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Enjoy many friends

Read: Isaiah 53:3-7; Matthew 9:10-13

Ciara cringed as someone started coughing their way down the hall. A moment later, the coughing stopped, but then her younger brother, sitting next to her at the kitchen table as they did their school, began coughing. Ciara scooted away. At least she had gotten over her cold before the others, but still…

Mom returned from blowing her nose. “All right, Max, have you gotten those math problems done?”

Max shook his head and sniffed loudly.

Ciara groaned. “Mom, aren’t we ever going to get over this?”

“We’ll get over it.” Mom sighed. “Eventually.”

“I think colds are the worst sickness ever!” Lynn declared, banging her books down on the table.

“Actually, they probably aren’t. Things like Covid or polio or malaria are worse,” Brennan pointed out. “Oh, and cancer, and…”

“You don’t need to list them all,” Mom said. “And I can think of a sickness that’s worse than any you’re likely to list—and we’re all infected with it and affected by it.”

“What’s that?” Ciara looked up in alarm.

“Sin,” Mom replied. “And it’s the worst kind of sickness, because it separates us from God. It’s anything we think, do, or say that goes against who He is and how He tells us to treat others. That means if we think of ourselves more highly than someone else, we’re sinning. If we ignore our parents when they tell us to do something, we’re sinning. If we speak unkindly to our siblings, we’re sinning. But there is a Physician who has the only cure—and He will give it to us completely free of charge.”

Max sneezed. “It’s Jesus, isn’t it?”

“It is. And do you know how He cures our sickness?”

“He died for us on the cross to take away all our sins.” Ciara smiled. “And because I’ve trusted in Him as my Savior, He’s cleaned my heart of all its sin!”

“Exactly.” Mom nodded. “And though we’re still affected by sin in this world and do wrong things, we can go to Him over and over again and confess our sin, knowing He will forgive us because He has washed the guilt of our sin away.”

–Ellie Shirk

How about you? Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? Sin is a spiritual sickness that infects every human heart, and only God has the cure. Jesus’s sacrifice paid the price to save us, but we must receive the free gift He offers in order to be healed. When you trust in Jesus, He cleans your heart of sin and gives you a healthy heart for Him. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus can take away your sins

Read: 1 Timothy 4:6-8, 15-16

As Marco walked home from school, he heard a familiar voice calling his name. Turning, he saw his Sunday school teacher. “Hi, Mr. Yoon!” exclaimed Marco, running to meet him. “What are you doing on this street?”

“I just came from Jack Myers’ house. He and his parents visited our church last week, and I offered to look at a problem they’re having with their garage door.”

“They just moved here,” said Marco. “Jack seems like a nice guy, but I felt pretty bad for him at school today. It was track and field day, and he was last in almost everything. He didn’t seem to be very upset about it though. He kept cheering everyone else on.”

“It looks like you did all right.” Mr. Yoon motioned toward the red ribbon and three blue ribbons pinned to Marco’s shirt.

“Yeah, I do okay in a lot of the events.”

“That’s great,” said Mr. Yoon. “You must have worked hard to train yourself to do those things. Did you know that the apostle Paul mentioned physical training in a letter he wrote to Timothy?”

“He did?” said Marco. “What did he say?”

“He said that physical training has value, but it’s more important to train yourself to be godly by learning and practicing the things that help you grow as a Christian.”

Marco thought about that. “So you don’t think Paul would be very impressed with my ribbons?”

“Paul wasn’t putting down physical training. He just wanted Timothy to be even more concerned about growing in his relationship with Jesus and living out his faith.” Mr. Yoon smiled. “You deserve to be congratulated on those ribbons, Marco. But if you hadn’t gotten any ribbons, that would’ve been okay. Godly character is what’s really important. It’s far more important to be like Jesus than to be good in sports.”

Marco nodded thoughtfully. “You know what? I think Jack has that. Godly character, I mean.” He paused to look down at the ribbons on his chest. “I think I’ll stop by his house on my way home. I want him to know that even though he didn’t get any ribbons today, I can tell he’s been training in what’s really important.”

–Rosalie J. Currier

How about you? Do you put a lot of value on physical ability and training? It’s good to train your body, but having a heart like Jesus is much more important. So go ahead—train in the sports you enjoy and do your best in them. But more importantly, train yourself to be godly by growing in your relationship with Jesus and depending on Him to help you follow His example of love in all you do.

Today's Key Verse: Train yourself to be godly. 1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Godly character is of great value

Read: Isaiah 41:8-16

“Mom, this game is impossible,” Heidi complained as she glared at the computer screen.

Mom looked over, then laughed. “I played that when I was younger, and you’re right, it’s very hard. That’s how life was for the people who took the Oregon Trail out west over a hundred years ago.”

Heidi frowned. “Really? They had to leave food behind and kept getting holes in their wagon? And they got sick every day?”

“I’m not sure how often they got sick, but they didn’t have doctors like we do, and they didn’t always have anything to help with sickness or injuries. Wagons weren’t the best protection from the weather, and I’m sure their wagons got holes sometimes. That was the way of life.”

Heidi looked incredulously at the computer. “I like being here, where life is normal. Bad stuff doesn’t happen every day.”

“It doesn’t? I thought you said you had a classmate who lost their grandma yesterday. And the day before that you told me there was a kid on the playground whose parents are getting divorced. Aren’t those bad things?”

Heidi was quiet. “I guess…but it doesn’t seem the same.”

Mom walked over to a shelf and pulled down a photo. She handed it to Heidi. “I was only eight—your age—when my mom died. It was a very, very bad thing that still makes me feel sad sometimes. And you broke your arm last year; wasn’t that hard? It wasn’t life-threatening, but you couldn’t write and had a hard time doing normal things like eating and brushing your teeth.”

“Oh yeah. I guess that was really bad when I had the cast.”

“There will always be bad things happening in our sinful world, but there’s someone who will be with us through each one of them,” Mom reminded Heidi.

Heidi’s eyes lit up. “Jesus! When I believed that He died and rose again to save me and trusted Him as my Savior, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in my heart. I did that right after I broke my arm.”

“Exactly,” said Mom. “God is with you no matter what things happen, bad or good. He loves you and promises to be with you always.”

–Kimberly Brokish

How about you? Have you had bad things happen to you? We live in a sinful world where bad things happen, but we don’t have to go through them alone. Jesus loves us so much He died for us, and He promises to be with us all the time, through both bad things and good. One day He’ll get rid of sin forever and bad things won’t happen anymore; until then, trust Him to help you through life’s difficulties and be with you always.

Today's Key Verse: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God is with us always

Read: Psalm 119:9-16

Dad’s voice drifted around the corner of the house. “Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty! Ready or not, here I come!”

Alexei scrunched sideways into the small opening under the porch and pulled his knees up to his chest. “No!” he said as his little sister tried to wriggle in with him. “Go away! There’s not enough room here, and if Dad sees you, he’ll find me too. Go find your own place.” But it was too late.

“Gotcha!” Dad swooped down and swung Nadia off the ground.

Alexei slowly crawled out of his hiding place. “No fair! Nadia gave me away.”

“You could have let her hide with you instead of pushing her out where I could see her,” Dad said.

“There wasn’t enough room,” said Alexei. “That space is so small that if I’m in it, there’s no room for Nadia, and if she’s in it, there’s no room for me. It’s like what we learned in science class—two things can’t be in the exact same space at the exact same time.”

Dad smiled. “You know what? That’s kind of like the Bible verse you learned in church last week.”

“It is?” Alexei tilted his head, trying to remember the verse. “‘Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.’”

Dad nodded. “Let’s think about the space under the porch as being a heart, and you as being God’s Word. And you, Nadia—sorry, honey, but can we let you stand for sin for a moment?” Nadia nodded, and Dad continued. “If God’s Word—that’s you, Alexei—is really hidden in the heart”—Dad motioned toward the small space under the porch—“there won’t be room for sin.” He motioned toward Nadia.

“Is that why we memorize verses?” said Alexei.

“Yes,” Dad replied. “When we memorize verses, we’re spending time learning about God and how He’s saved us and changed us through His Son, Jesus. Because of our relationship with Him, the verses don’t just stay in our heart. They flow into how we live in every area of our lives through the Holy Spirit’s power. When we trust in Jesus, He gives us the power to obey Him instead of giving in to sin—and memorizing God’s Word is a good way to remember that.”

–Jean A. Burns

How about you? Do you have Bible verses you call to mind when you’re tempted to sin? If you’re a Christian, Jesus gives you the power to do what’s right and show His love to others—and putting God’s Word in your heart by reading and memorizing it helps you remember that. Take time to put God’s Word in your heart today, and remember that He is always with you and gives you the power to resist sin.

Today's Key Verse: Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Learn what God says and obey

Read: Matthew 6:31-33; Philippians 4:4-7

“Hi, Mom,” said Leilana. “Did your dentist find any cavities?”

Mom shook her head. “Not one,” she said with a sigh. “There wasn’t anything wrong, but I still have a pretty big bill to pay.”

Leilana laughed. “You sound like you’d be happier if you had a mouthful of rotten teeth so you could feel better about paying the bill. Are you worried about paying it?”

Mom looked startled. Then she grinned. “I guess I’m worrying for no reason,” she said. “I’m really very thankful I didn’t have any cavities. It makes the bill a lot less!”

After dinner that evening, Leilana got out the script for her Thanksgiving play. “Who wants to listen to me say my lines?” she asked.

Her brother Wesley groaned. “Nobody,” he told her. “We’re all tired of hearing them. You’ve been saying them perfectly for a week.”

“But I’m nervous about performing in front of everybody,” Leilana said. “What if I forget my lines?”

“You won’t,” said Wesley. “And I, for one, will be glad when the play is done so we’ll never have to hear them again!”

Leilana flipped through the pages of her script. “I wonder if Julian learned his lines. If he misses them, I might miss the cue to start mine. That would be awful!” She turned to another page. “And I hope Tess remembers to bring the apron she said I could borrow. The play won’t be the same without it.”

Wesley rolled his eyes. “Well, I sure hope something goes wrong for you. You wouldn’t want to worry for nothing!”

Mom turned to Leilana and grinned. “No cavities?” she asked.

They both started laughing. “I’m as bad as you, Mom,” said Leilana. “And you actually have a bill to pay! The things I’m worrying about haven’t even happened.”

“Worrying doesn’t change anything,” said Mom. “That’s why God tells us to bring our worries to Him. Instead of fretting about things we have no control over, we can trust God to take care of us. He sent His Son to die for us so we could be His children, and He’ll make sure we have what we need. Instead of worrying, we can be thankful we belong to Jesus and feel His peace.”

–Hazel W. Marett

How about you? Do you worry—especially about things you can’t control? Usually the things people worry about never happen—and even if they do happen, worrying won’t change anything. God is the one who’s in control, and He promises to be with you and provide for you, no matter what happens. Give your worries to Him so you can feel His peace as you rest in His presence and love.

Today's Key Verse: Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLV)

Today's Key Thought: Pray instead of worrying

Read: Proverbs 15:13-17

“Guess what happened at Grandma and Grandpa’s,” Taylor said, giggling. She and her brother Elliot had just gotten home after spending the weekend with their grandparents. “Grandma had orange juice in a plastic pitcher, and when she picked it up—”

Taylor could no longer talk because she was laughing too hard, so Elliot finished the story. “The handle of the pitcher broke off!”

“Oh no!” said Mom. “It must have made a huge mess.”

“It did,” Taylor said. “Juice splashed all over the cupboards and onto the floor. And there was juice all over Grandma!”

“You should have seen the look on her face,” said Elliot. “She kept holding the handle and staring at it. But then she started to laugh, and we laughed too. We all laughed so hard that Grandpa came in to see what was going on.”

“I thought they’d be upset about the big mess, but they weren’t,” Taylor said. “Grandpa got a big grin on his face and said, ‘Well, Arlene, I know you didn’t like that pitcher, but you didn’t have to go this far to get rid of it, did you?’ We all laughed until our stomachs hurt.”

Dad chuckled. “That’s how your grandparents are. They can usually take an unfortunate situation and find some humor in it. Grandpa loves to quote the verse from Proverbs that says, ‘A joyful heart is good medicine.’”

Taylor nodded. “Cleaning up all that sticky juice didn’t seem so bad while we were laughing.”

“Sometimes it’s easy to get upset when something like that happens,” Mom said. “But you know what? Instead of getting frustrated when things don’t go our way, we can look for the good in the situation—and maybe even laugh about it. God is good, and He sent Jesus to save us and promises to always take care of us, even when things don’t go as planned—and that should always fill our hearts with joy.”

“I’m going to try to laugh more like Grandma and Grandpa,” said Elliot.

“Good,” said Mom. “You can start right now because I have something to tell you. Your gym socks somehow got in with the wrong batch of laundry today and, well—they turned pink!”

Elliot looked startled. Then he joined in as the rest of his family burst into laughter.

–Linda J. Opp

How about you? Do you get upset when unexpected things happen to you? Try to find some humor in the situation. You’ll enjoy life more, and it’s good for your health too! Of course, there are times when more serious things happen that you shouldn’t laugh about, but even then remember that God cares for you and is always with you. So laugh whenever you can and enjoy the life He’s given you!

Today's Key Verse: A joyful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22 (CSB)

Today's Key Thought: Learn to laugh